Bridge laying devices are used, for example in the military sector, for transporting and laying a transportable bridge. Suchlike bridges are deployed if a bridge is to be used only for a specified period for crossing an obstacle, for example a river. The bridge can then be transported to its installation site by means of a bridge laying vehicle and can be laid over the obstacle there with a bridge laying device. As soon as the bridge is no longer required, it can then be picked up once more with the bridge laying device and can be transported to another installation site.
Known bridge laying devices can be arranged, for example, on combat vehicles such as tanks or the like. However, bridge laying devices which are configured for arranging on a load transport vehicle, for example a hook lift vehicle, are also known. In this respect, it is not necessary to make available a special bridge laying vehicle, by means of which the bridge laying devices can be transported and the bridges can be laid.
For example, a military rapid-deployment bridge system that is capable of being laid in cantilever form and is transportable by means of air, rail, water or land vehicles is known from DE 101 27 136 BE. A bridge laying device with a main part for arranging on a load transport vehicle is proposed there. The main part has a laying arm for setting down the bridge, which is configured for the transfer of in particular a two-piece bridge initially in a connected state. In a suchlike embodiment, the bridge and in particular also the bridge laying device can be dimensioned so that it conforms to a stipulated loading dimension, such as a standard ISO size. The two-piece bridge can be assembled and can then be laid by the vehicle with the help of the bridge laying device.
In bridge laying devices of this type and, in particular, also suchlike bridge laying systems of this type, it has been found to be disadvantageous that it is frequently not possible to approach sufficiently closely to an obstacle with these devices, in order thereby to be able to carry out a satisfactory laying process. There is also a further disadvantage, because of the two-piece design of the bridge, that no high loads can be picked up in the connected state. Because of this, the passage of a suchlike bridge is only possible with restricted vehicles.